OF THE KROOMAN " STRAW HAT." 141 



too much !" I might have talked a twelvemonth 

 to him to no purpose ; and if I had not had re- 

 course to ocular demonstration, I should never 

 have succeeded in convincing him of his error. 

 He is a fine young negro, and speaks English 

 very well, having been on board several palm- 

 oil ships. A few months previously, he had cut 

 his wrist severely with a hatchet, and came to me 

 to have it dressed ; I was threading a needle for 

 the purpose of putting a suture through the lips 

 of the wound, when he suddenly exclaimed, " Mas- 

 sa dottor, massa dottor, what you want for do ? you 

 go for put needle through my flesh, all same piece 

 of cloth — no ! no ! no ! no ! " and pulling a long 

 face, he walked offto the fore part of the ship, still 

 saying, *' No, no, massa dottor ; me no savy dat 

 palaver : put needle through my flesh all same 

 piece of cloth ! no, no !" — All the entreaties Mr. 

 Lander and myself could have recourse to were 

 not sufficient to induce him to submit to an opera- 

 tion which he thought unnecessary and cruel. 



Finding we could not obtain a supply of 

 wood at this town, we got under weigh, and 

 dropped our anchor abreast of some dry trees, 

 where the Kroomen were sent ashore for it. 

 Several canoe-loads were brought alongside 



